<p>Thank you for taking the time to look over these questions: (I'm going to be a freshmen at CAS)</p>
<p>1) For the course entitled, "Writing the Essay." What does the homework load generally look like? I know it's a weird question, but I'm curious.</p>
<p>2) Likewise, for Calculus I, I managed to pass the placement exam, but if I have not taken Calculus when I was in high school, will I be completely set back? It seems like many of the people who have signed up for this course have already been in Calculus.</p>
<p>3) For anyone that has taken an Intermediate II language class, what is the work load like in that class? </p>
<p>4) Finally, for crew athletes, I know that the practices are from 5:30 - 8:30am, not a problem. However, my first class is at 9:30am every day. Will I have time to make it all the way down from the Peter Sharp Boathouse to my dorm in order to eat,shower, and change to get ready for class?</p>
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<p>I apologize for the stupid questions. Thank you again for taking the time to look at them.</p>
<p>1) It’s a brutal class. One of the hardest you’ll ever have at NYU. It’s designed to be that way to shock you into realizing what the college workload is like. Many of the teachers are graduate TAs, and a lot of students really struggle to adjust their writing style from the very formulaic high school style to a more adult one. Projects tend to be tough, and unless you’re a very good, creative writer (i.e. one who probably struggled to fit in the box in high school) … it’ll probably be a very time consuming class for you.</p>
<p>There are three ‘cycles’, each one involves two or three drafts and revisions and a final, so in essence you have nine prompts to turn in. You get a grade for each cycle which then gets weighed against your participation, attendance, and other small factors for a final grade.</p>
<p>2) If you passed the placement exam you are in good enough standing to take the course. Do not worry. Study the material, beat it into your brain, get the grade.</p>
<p>3) I took Intensive Intermediate so I can’t answer it perfectly, but it was fairly straightforward. Study the grammar, memorize the vocab, practice pronunciation, and prep for quizzes. An hour a day puts you in great shape.</p>
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<li>You’re looking at 50 minutes minimum via subway, so I wouldn’t say this is feasible if you plan to shower before class. If you don’t have a class following your 9:30, you could just cram food after practice, rush onto the train, go to class grimy (it’s college, and at 9:30am no one expects much of you anyway) and shower after. The real question is why on earth you want a 9:30am when you’re in college. ;)</li>
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<p>Thank you, Hellodocks!! To be honest, I was kind of hoping that you would respond to this because you’re so well-informed and helpful on this forum. I have alot of respect for you.</p>
<p>1) Damn, I wasn’t expecting much else from WTE - for whatever it’s worth, I have Pat Hoy as my professor (One of the writers of the textbook). I presume that every class section uses the same books - the reason I ask is that I’m attempting to switch to a later class period, but I have already bought the books.</p>
<p>2) Sounds good, I don’t know what I would have done if I had to take another year of pre-calculus. From what I gather, Calculus seems to be alot more applicable (I.e. maximizing profts, etc…)</p>
<p>3) An hour of studying per day sounds perfect for a language!</p>
<p>4) I was kind of expecting this. Thankfully though, some days the practices are at Palladium, so I shouldn’t have a problem getting to class on time with that. As for my 9:30am decision - it was simple, it’s the only time period in which Economic Principles II is taught - I probably should have mentioned that I’m going to be an econ major. </p>
<p>I don’t think I’m entirely sure that I agree with WTE being difficult. I think it depends on your aptitude for writing. Most departments expect a lot of students writing abilities, thus WTE is designed to teach you how to write at a college level. In some instances this means your first few papers may come back at much lower grade than desired. You just have learn to adjust your writing style. If you’re apt at writing, this won’t be a problem. However,if you aren’t accustomed to college-style writing or changing your writing style, you will probably find this class to be more or less difficult based on your writing ability.</p>
<p>Hey doctor, as someone who still has to take the calc 1 placement exam, can you offer me some insight on how hard it is, what/how I should study, what’s on it? I’m kind of in the same boat as you – didn’t take calc in hs and wondering whether I can handle it. Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Best of luck and I hope things go well. They actually changed the scoring on the placement exam since not enough people passed it to make it easier! From what I gather, Calc I is just three main topics: limits, derivatives, and integrals. Like Hellodocks said, if you pass the placement exam, you’re in good standing.</p>
<p>Also, NYU2013, thanks for the advice. I fear that it’s going to be a tough class for me, I’m a decent writer, but not creative at all :/</p>
<p>I can only tell you about WTE from what I’ve heard it described as by students, teachers, writing tutors, and professors. I was exempted, for the class of 2013 only they tried a policy where SAT Writing scores >750 had no English requirement. I never took it.</p>
<p>Did you need to take a class for your major in your first semester? A lot of kids just work on getting pre-reqs out of the way frosh year. They have the most sections offered, so you typically have the most flexibility building a schedule that first year while you’re adjusting to college.</p>
<p>I decided to take the Economic Principles II course back during Orientation when I thought a class towards my major would be important. By the time I realized that rowing practice would interfere with WTE, it was too late to change anything. I’m emailing the administrator of the expository writing program to try to change. I hope that things work out!</p>
<p>Also, Hellodocks, what were your favorite / least favorite courses throughout college thus far?</p>
<p>After some switching around, I managed to get into a later expository writing the essay class. The only problem is that now I am on a waitlist for french intermediate II… I’m position two in the waitlist. Would you say that it’s generally easy to get off of a course’s waitlist? </p>
<p>Is there any thing I can do at this point to help my case? Once classes start, should I go to that waitlisted class?</p>
<p>WTE isn’t really that bad. The work is definitely more periodic than most classes but the assignments are mostly b<em>ll</em>**** writing exercises to build your main essays. The teachers do use the same books although every professor uses it to a different degree. Throughout the semester you will be focusing on 3 main essays. You begin by reading some examples and analyzing them with a “creative mind.” Every class you will usually be assigned a small exercise and it will be a building block for the main essay. It’s is a progressive rubric, but you do have to make sure you participate and express your feelings and all that good stuff; they are very small classrooms so you can’t really get around it.</p>
<p>I would recommend David Ellis if you can take him.</p>
<p>AoDay, From what I hear, the work is not bad. You just have to keep up with the regular assignments. However, the curve is a killer. My S had one point taken off an exam and that resulted in a B+ instead of an A or A-. Worst curve I heard of.</p>
<p>Do any of you guys know about the Goddard Writing the Essay course? </p>
<p>And another question-- this may sound really stupid, but for science classes, they have gigantic books and I was wondering if we have to haul them around to classes? I wasn’t sure if we use ppt slide notes or something in class and have the textbook for our own use to study…</p>
<p>@doctorje
It isn’t too late to switch schedules. People do that over the first two weeks after they start. If you don’t wanna take EPII now and want to switch WTE to a different time, you can make both changes.</p>
<p>My least favorite classes were calc and the 6-credit stats. I didn’t have the greatest professors and at that point I didn’t know how to get around that. Plus, I’m not too quantitatively inclined and it was a rough adjustment, like getting thrown into the deep end right off the bad. Great GPA boost … oof.</p>
<p>@suhstacy
Goddard WTE tends to be better. More intimate environment, your teacher is leading your stream and you do social and community service events with them too, it’s not as miserable. So people said my frosh year at least. I was exempted but I lived in Goddard.</p>
<p>For science books, some are loose-leaf ‘campus’ editions or whatever, so you can take just the chapter you need for that lecture. Otherwise, you’re stuck hauling it around. Find a friend and take turns carrying it and share in lecture, but both have your own copy.</p>